A new way to prepare biaryls - compounds that are essential building blocks in the creation of drugs and many modern materials such as LEDs - using gold as a catalyst is described by researchers from the University of Bristol in this week's edition of Science. Gold catalysis is easier, cheaper and more environmentally friendly than current methods which use palladium as a catalyst. 2 Oct 2012
Pharmaceutical group Cipla Medro (CMP) said on Friday, 21 September 2012, it had received notification from the Takeover Regulation Panel (TRP) that it intended to conduct an investigation into the affairs of the company relating to a potential affected transaction. 26 Sep 2012
The healthcare industry on Wednesday, 12 September, welcomed the formalisation of the Marketing Code Authority (MCA), which will oversee the South African Marketing Code of Practice, at the Authority's first annual general meeting. Lauded internationally for achieving collaboration and participation of all industry participants - including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, laboratory and diagnostics and animal health products - the code serves as an important step towards guiding the ethics of the local healthcare industry. 14 Sep 2012
Diversified healthcare company Litha Healthcare Group is in talks with an undisclosed party to secure a technology transfer for flu vaccines‚ it said on Thursday. 5 Sep 2012
To help combat counterfeit medicines in Zambia, the Global Pharma Health Fund (GPHF), a charitable initiative funded by the German pharmaceutical, chemical and life science company Merck, has presented four mobile compact laboratories to the Zambian Pharmaceutical Regulatory Authority (PRA) that is part of the Ministry of Health. 31 Aug 2012
The Pharmaceutical Industry Association of South Africa (PIASA) has announced that Pierre Bosch, Area Director sub-Saharan Africa for Alcon Laboratories, has been re-elected as the industry body's president for 2012/2013. 16 Aug 2012
The Department of Health has awarded its first tender aligned with the government's latest industrial policy which gives preference to local manufacturers, boosting business for some of SA's biggest drug firms. 7 Aug 2012
Coface, the international credit insurer, released its latest industry risk review covering Pharmaceuticals sector last week. 7 Aug 2012
Global health agencies and western donors have made great efforts in recent years to subsidise and improve the supply of medicines for diseases affecting the world's poorest people, particularly malaria, tuberculosis (TB) and other deadly infections. 11 Jul 2012
Growing demand for expensive biologic drugs - highly specialised drugs used for chronic conditions - is sharply pushing up the medicines bill at SA's biggest medical scheme, Discovery Health, the company warned yesterday, 4 June 2012. 5 Jun 2012
The Gauteng Health Department has set aside R1.4 billion to ensure a steady supply of medicine, with the bulk of the amount to be allocated to the Medical Supplies Depot. 4 Jun 2012
WASHINGTON, USA: A panel of experts on Thursday, 10 May 2012, urged US regulators to approve what could be the first new anti-obesity drug on the market in more than a decade - Lorcaserin, made by Arena Pharmaceuticals. 14 May 2012
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Yale University will partner to design a new class of molecules to target disease-causing proteins. This is the latest in a string of deals between Yale's academic researchers and global pharmaceutical companies. 2 May 2012
NEW YORK, USA: US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is close to reaching a US$9 billion deal to sell its infant nutrition business to Nestle, according to the Wall Street Journal. 18 Apr 2012
SA's biggest drug manufacturer, Aspen Pharmacare, on Friday welcomed the announcement by Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies that the pharmaceuticals sector had been designated as one in which the government would purchase selected products exclusively from domestic manufacturers. 17 Apr 2012
The SA pharmaceutical industry has not only weathered adversity in an unfavourable local trading environment, but is extending its reach to the rest of the continent. 16 Apr 2012
The government has put measures in place aimed at reviving the waning pharmaceuticals production sector, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said on Friday, 13 April 2012. 16 Apr 2012
WASHINGTON, USA: US regulators will decide in July whether to approve Qnexa, the first obesity drug in more than a decade, extending the initial deadline by three months, the California-based drug-maker VIVUS said. 13 Apr 2012
WASHINGTON, USA: The US Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday, 3 April 2012, warned consumers not to take a product called "Japan Rapid Weight Loss Diet Pills" because they contain a suspected cancer-causing agent. 5 Apr 2012
The Biovac Institute will be partnering with multi-national pharmaceutical company, Sanofi Pasteur, in a technology transfer to locally manufacture one of the leading combination vaccines, it was announced yesterday, 2 April 2012. 3 Apr 2012
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